Saudi law offers three ways to challenge a judgment: appeal, cassation and reconsideration. Learn each deadline, when it starts, and how to draft a memo.
Short answer: The Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts provides three ways to challenge a judgment: appeal before the Court of Appeal within 30 days, cassation before the Supreme Court within 30 days, and a petition for reconsideration in limited cases. Deadlines are shorter in urgent matters and run from delivery of a copy of the judgment deed.
What are the methods of challenging a judgment?
Article 176 of the Law of Procedure before Sharia Courts states that the methods of objecting to judgments are appeal, cassation and petition for reconsideration:
Appeal: the Court of Appeal reviews a first-instance judgment on facts and law.
Cassation: the Supreme Court reviews appellate judgments on specific legal grounds, not to re-argue the facts.
Reconsideration: an exceptional route in limited cases, such as forged documents discovered after judgment.
The Implementing Regulations for Methods of Appealing Judgments, are published on the Ministry of Justice legal portal and should be read alongside the Law.
If a judgment goes against you, decide early whether to challenge it, by which route and by when. A litigation and appeals lawyer is most useful at the start of the period, not on its last day.
When does the deadline start?
Under Article 179, the period runs "from the date a copy of the judgment deed is delivered to the party against whom it was issued", not necessarily from the date it was pronounced. Check the delivery date recorded in your Najiz case file.
Appeal: deadline and scope
Article 187: the period to request appeal or review (تدقيق) is 30 days, or 10 days for judgments in urgent matters. Under Article 185, first-instance judgments are generally appealable, with exceptions such as small claims defined by the Supreme Judicial Council and some judgments subject to review only. Article 186 adds that new requests are not accepted on appeal, so a strong appeal starts with a complete statement of claim (upcoming link).
Cassation: deadline and grounds
Article 194: the period to request cassation is 30 days, or 15 days in urgent matters. Article 193 limits the grounds, broadly: violation of Sharia or statutory law; improper constitution of the court; lack of jurisdiction; and error in characterising or describing the facts.
Petition for reconsideration
Article 200 lists limited cases for final judgments, including judgments based on documents later found to be forged, or decisive documents obtained after judgment that could not be produced earlier. Under Article 201, the period is 30 days, starting on a date that depends on the ground.
Deadlines at a glance
Method Court Standard Urgent Article Appeal / review Court of Appeal 30 days 10 days 187 Cassation Supreme Court 30 days 15 days 194 Reconsideration Per Article 202 30 days — 201
Illustrative example (hypothetical dates): a party receives the copy of a money-claim judgment on the 1st of the month. The matter is not urgent, so the 30-day period runs from delivery and ends around the end of that month. Had it been urgent, the period would be only 10 days. Confirm counting rules with your lawyer: missing the deadline can cost you the right to object and make the judgment final.
How to draft the objection memo
Article 188 requires a memo identifying the judgment, the grounds of objection and the requests. It is usually filed electronically on Najiz. Checklist:
Case number, judgment deed number and date, court and circuit.
A short summary of the claim and the judgment.
Numbered grounds, each tied to a specific part of the court's reasoning.
References to documents already on file.
Clear requests (e.g., set aside or amend a specific item).
No new requests.
Does an objection stop enforcement?
It depends on the judgment. Under Article 7 of the new Enforcement Law (Royal Decree M/237 dated 1447/11/3 AH, effective 180 days after publication), executive instruments include final judgments and judgments with provisional enforcement, which may be enforced before becoming final. Enforcement measures such as a travel ban or service suspension (upcoming link) are handled in the enforcement file, separately from the appeal.
Specialised courts, such as commercial courts, may have their own procedural rules; check which law governs your case.
FAQ
Appeal vs cassation?
Appeal asks the Court of Appeal to re-examine a first-instance judgment on facts and law. Cassation goes to the Supreme Court on the limited legal grounds in Article 193 and does not re-argue the facts.
When does the deadline start?
From delivery of a copy of the judgment deed to the party concerned (Article 179). Check the delivery date in your Najiz case file.
What if I miss the deadline?
As a rule, you lose that route and the judgment becomes final. Only the limited reconsideration grounds may remain, so treat the deadline as strict.
Can I file without a lawyer?
Yes, you can file the memo via Najiz yourself. What makes the difference is how precisely your grounds address the court's reasoning.
Received a judgment?
Our litigation team reviews judgments, assesses whether an objection is worthwhile and drafts appeal and cassation memos for individuals and companies across Saudi Arabia, in person or remotely. Send us the judgment and its delivery date as early as possible.
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This article is general information for awareness only and is not legal advice for any specific case. Statutory deadlines are strict and may vary by case type and court; consult a licensed lawyer as soon as you receive a judgment.
